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24/7 Hotlines

Domestic Violence Services

Services Empowering Rights of Victims (SERV) offers a variety of services to those experiencing domestic violence, including court accompaniments, case management, advocacy, counseling, safe housing, and safety planning. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and needs to talk, our hotline is a free 24-hour phone service that will pair you with a SERV Advocate. You can also speak with us online by leaving a message in the chat feature (look for the box in the bottom right corner of this page).

24/7 Hotline

Our team of Domestic Violence Response Team Advocates are available to support victims and survivors of domestic violence 24/7 with phone counseling, referrals, and information through SERV's hotlines. All calls are free and confidential.

The safe house offers a caring environment for residents to explore their options without fear of victimization or concern for basic needs such as food, medical services, clothing, and shelter. Children’s counseling groups, tutors, parenting groups, nutrition education, and other daily activities are available in the safe house to help in the healing process. If you are in need of safe housing, please call one of our hotlines.

Crisis Intervention

SERV provides immediate counsel to those going through a time of crisis related to domestic violence. If you are in a domestic violence related crisis, please call one of our hotlines and a SERV Advocate will be there to assist you.

Camden & Gloucester Counties: 1-866-295-SERV (7378)

Cumberland County: 1-800-225-0196

Advocacy

Our trained advocates provide emotional support, maintain confidentiality, safety planning, and inform the survivor of all the processes, options, and available resources.

Our Domestic Violence Response Team Advocates can be contacted through the SERV hotlines and will accompany victims of domestic violence to hospitals, police stations, and courts proceedings. Additionally, advocates help the victim access services related to domestic violence recovery.

Legal Advocacy

Navigating through the legal system can be an intimidating experience. Court advocates assist domestic violence survivors in obtaining Restraining Orders (Orders of Protection) and in accessing all available legal remedies. Advocates provide information about options, offer support and accompany survivors through court proceedings.

We provide:

Accompaniment to court

Information about domestic violence law

Support throughout legal proceedings

Advocacy with law enforcement, court personnel and legal services

Legal clinics and free consultations conducted by volunteer attorneys

Although court advocates cannot provide legal advice or representation for clients in civil and criminal cases, advocates can connect clients with legal services. SERV works with Legal Services of Southern Jersey (Link the title to http://www.lsnj.org/sjls/) to provide free legal advice and representation in victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

The Domestic Violence Liaison provides consultation with DCPP to support and advocate for non-offending parents and their children in situtions of domestic violence.

Center For Family Services’ SERV program was chosen as 1 of 4 agencies to pilot an innovative collaboration with the Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCPP). This program has since expanded statewide and addresses the complications with families when domestic violence and child abuse co-exist.

SERV continues to offer this vital program – a key component to reaching our goal of addressing the needs of children affected by domestic violence. The DV Liaison position increases safety, stability, and wellbeing and improves the outcomes for children and their non-offending parents in domestic violence situations. The DV Liaison also strengthens DCF/DCCP capacity to provide effective assessment and intervention for families in domestic violence situations.

The co-occurrence of domestic violence when children are present is a murky area for authorities. Often, the non-offending parent is held responsible for the violence of a partner. Children are removed from the home and everyone suffers. Research indicates that children are best served when they are able to remain with their parent and when the system assists in the safety of both.

With the high correlation of domestic violence and child abuse, it is imperative that domestic violence professionals work collaboratively with the case workers in the children’s services arena to assist both the adult and child victims of abuse. This partnership has placed a SERV Domestic Violence Liaison on-site at Cumberland and Gloucester Counties DCPP offices to work on cases involving domestic violence and child abuse.

Peaceful Tomorrows

In Cumberland and Gloucester County, SERV offers the Peaceful Tomorrows program. Throughout a period of 12-15 individual and joint parent-child sessions, Peaceful Tomorrows staff provide a safe and supportive environment to express emotions and explore nonviolent ways of managing anger. Counselors employ proven theraputic methods to help participants feel empowered to make choices, improve their own confidence and self-esteem, and heal from the trauma of domestic violence.